Sotheby’s Brings On Former MSG Employee as Digital and Marketing Chief

Sotheby’s has hired David Goodman as its new digital and marketing chief. Goodman joins the auction house from the Madison Square Garden Company, where he was the president of productions and live entertainment. Sotheby’s new chief executive, Tad Smith, who replaced William F. Ruprecht in that position in March, was the former chief executive of MSG, which owns the Knicks, Radio City Music Hall, and other businesses.

In two separate statements, both men referred to Sotheby’s “brand,” which seems about right. Smith noted that “Sotheby’s brand and how it is used to serve clients online and offline is the keystone of our future growth.” Meanwhile, Goodman called Sotheby’s “one of the world’s great brands.”

Goodman’s last job had him “building on the company’s hallmark Christmas Spectacular and Rockettes brands,” to quote my press release. He oversaw MSG’s “beloved holiday classic,” the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and also helped introduce the famed theater’s New York Spring Spectacular, also starring the Rockettes, in 2015.

As of press time, there was no word yet on whether Sotheby’s plans to invite the Rockettes to come out onto the floor and do a kick-line while Phil Jackson rolls out a basketball hoop for Carmelo Anthony to slam dunk into every time the company breaks an auction record. Here’s hoping.